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One Craft Combines Two Popular Sports

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December 21, 1987, Page 00009 The New York Times Archives

It is unlikely that Johann Klepper, a German who invented the folding sea kayak in 1907, could have imagined its future. What would he think if he could see it with a sailing rig on a trans-Atlantic crossing nearly 50 years later? Or as a sabotage craft during World War II? Or in the 1980's as standard equipment for a weekend excursion on the water?

Within the last year, the small craft has taken on yet another identity. The American distributor for the Hans Klepper Corporation of West Germany has turned its sea kayak into a rowing shell. It has combined two popular sports of today's fitness-minded generation, kayaking and rowing, by outfitting Klepper's Aerius II sea kayak with a sliding seat for rowing. Instead of sitting forward in the craft and paddling, one sits backward and rows with oars.

Eric Stiller, the New York-based sales manager for Klepper, said that the new system offers the best of both worlds: the speed and aerobic benefits of a rowing shell combined with the seaworthiness and adaptability of a folding kayak.

The Aerius II, a wood frame covered in waterproof polyester and thick rubber, is 17 feet long and weighs 75 pounds. In its standard form, it comes equipped with two sets of paddles and two canvas carrying bags (sized within airline baggage limits). The kayak becomes a rowing shell by fitting the boat with an Oarmaster sliding seat made by Martin Marine of Kittery, Me. Klepper has fashioned a wooden template to fasten the seat to the hull. The standard Aerius II sells for $1,890; customized for rowing, it costs an additional $405. It is available through Hans Klepper; the telephone number is 212-243-3428.

A version of this article appears in print on December 21, 1987, on Page C00009 of the National edition with the headline: One Craft Combines Two Popular Sports. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe